I gave up a university I had for 19 years, I thought turning 70, I should. Last year I drove out, alone, to the convention in Anaheim. 3742 miles one way, and it took me 65 hours of driving time This Summer I was called to fix a pedal on the CF at the university, and it came up that the contract had not gone out. I was encouraged to put in a bid. Mind you, only 40 pianos, works out to about 100 tunings a year. I did submit a bid, got the contract, and I will be 72 in December. As long as I enjoy going to work in the morning, I will continue. I have cut down, and am more selective. I feel sorry for those people, who dread going to work and can't wait for their retirement, or for the day to end. No matter how much money you make, if you don't enjoy it, it is not worth the stress. John Ross Windsor, Nova Scotia. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Porritt, David" <dporritt at mail.smu.edu> To: <caut at ptg.org> Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 5:42 PM Subject: Re: [CAUT] pin drop So it's confession time huh? I'm retiring from a full time position at SMU on February 1, 2010. The job has not been posted yet, but will be soon (it takes a while for HR to jump through the legal hoops they need to jump.) It is a great position working with some great musicians who are also great human beings. It's just time to slow it down for me. dave (70) David M. Porritt, RPT dporritt at smu.edu -----Original Message----- From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Susan Kline Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2009 3:18 PM To: caut at ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] pin drop >Everyone is getting fatter... True enough! But maybe the demographic problem is with the benches, not the students and profs. Were most of them bought at around the same time? Maybe they all are getting decrepit and senile at once? Come to that, aren't most of the piano techs getting decrepit and (hopefully not) senile in lockstep with each other? Who is going to replace us in ten or twenty more years? Shall we do a little informal CAUT survey --- how old is everybody? Retirements imminent? Plans for how long to keep working? (only if you feel like telling us, of course.) I consider myself just passing through the outer fringe of semi-retirement. I've cut back general work about 30%, but still do all the concerts. I've started turning down (or trying to pass on) work involving tilting pianos, upright players still containing player actions, and square grands. I do lots of small repairs, some repinning and rebushing now and then, but full stringing and parts replacement I pass on to someone who does it full time. Susan Kline, 63
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